Lettuce - Pesticide Residues
The latest report from the Pesticides Safety Directorate on the Winter Lettuce Enforcement Programme details testing on lettuce collected between November 2001 and January 2002.
153 samples (147 from the UK) were examined for residues of the pesticides chlorothalonil, dimethoate, oxadixyl, vinclozolin (which are not approved for use in the UK) and cypermethrin, inorganic bromide, iprodione, metalaxyl, pirimicarb, propamocarb, propyzamide, quintozene and tolclofos-methyl (to check for MRL compliance).
9 samples (6%) were found to contain residues of pesticides (chlorothalonil & dimethoate) not approved for use on protected lettuce - dimethoate use on lettuce was revoked in September 1999.
27 samples (18%) were found to contain residues above the MRL. 14 contained residues of inorganic bromide above the Codex MRL of 100 mg/kg (6 of these were close to the 100 value), 7 contained propamocarb above the Codex MRL of 10 mg/kg (5 were between 10 and 20 mg/kg, UK GAP indicates that 20 mg/kg may be a more realistic MRL), 1 contained pirimicarb above the Codex MRL of 1 mg/kg and 1 contained propyzamide above the UK MRL of 1 mg/kg.
